The Live Mike

"The Live Mike" was a television variety show which was broadcast in Ireland by Radio Telefís Éireann from 1979 to 1982.

"The Live Mike" was created to fill the vacant Friday night slot on the newly created channel, RTÉ 2 in November 1979. As such, it was in direct competetition with RTÉ's Saturday night prime time programme, "The Late Late Show", the two programmes soon easily becoming RTÉ's two most popular shows. Presented by Mike Murphy, the show contained more comedic elements than "The Late Late Show". "The Live Mike" usually consisted off a serious discussion, comedic imputs from Dermot Morgan and a "candid camera" set-up of unsuspecting members of the public (including a famous clip featuring Gay Byrne, whom Murphy tormented in the guise of a quizzical Frenchman in Trinity College Dublin, constantly getting into camera shot and asking questions while Byrne, increasingly irritated, tried to record a "promo". This clip is still shown at regular intervals on RTÉ programming.).

"The Live Mike" ran for three series and ended in 1982. On the last show Murphy caused consternation when he told the viewers that the show would not be returning for another series. This was Murphy's decision and had not been discussed with any of the senior management at the station. Many thought that this incident would result in the death of Murphy's career. However he remained with the station for the next twenty years. Murphy said in an interview in 2006 that he had decided to end the show when, after the second season ended in 1981, a number of crew members had left, and that the show was no longer as fun to make as it had previously been.